The Straw Hat Armada
by Watatsumi
Summary: Benn convinces Shanks to take on Luffy as an apprentice. This one event causes many changes to the normal plot. Stronger Luffy but not OP. Not sure if it will have pairings. First Story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first story so sorry if I'm not that good at writing. Also, I don't know if my grammar is good or not. Anyway, this story is about how Shanks could change many things in the future of the Straw Hats by being Luffy's mentor.**

"_"-in quotes means talking

'_'-means thinking

**Chapter 1: An Apprentice**

It is the day after Shanks lost his arm. His original plan was to just leave the town. He had already been there long enough. What if he put it in danger?

'Maybe I could do it somewhere else?' thought Shanks.

He was thinking about what Benn told him the day before…

* * *

(Flashback)

"Listen Shanks, the kid has potential. He just ate a devil fruit, and he's very stubborn too. Maybe you should take on an apprentice," said a smirking Benn Beckman.

After Benn said this, Shanks spit out the sake he was drinking.

"Are you crazy Benn?!" retorted Shanks indignantly.

"Why? You like the kid and eventually you'll grow old. Think of it: The New Age. Besides, he's going to continuously get himself into a lot of trouble. Something bad could happen to him or his nakama if he's not ready for it," replied Shanks' first mate. He said the last sentence with a grim undertone to make his point.

"I believe in The New Age but he needs to work to get to the top. I shouldn't just hand it to him. I care for Luffy but he can take care of himself," said Shanks, suddenly serious.

"Just consider it Shanks. I'm not telling you to teach him everything you know or to take him to The New World. I'm just saying you should help him out a bit," finished Benn before he went inside the boat.

(Flashback End)

* * *

'Dammit, why does he have to be so convincing?' thought Shanks. He knows Luffy is the kind of person to get into a lot of trouble. He couldn't just leave him to his own resources. Besides, what if the marines found out about his father? He would be in serious trouble.

'What am I going to tell him? He already said he doesn't want to join me on my adventure. Garp probably knows about me talking to him. If not he'll tell him soon,' thought Shanks.

'Maybe I should just go back to the island and train him in secret while his grandpa isn't there. I wouldn't want to fight someone as strong as him," thought Shanks while shivering at the idea of fighting a grandpa nicknamed: Garp the Hero. He may be strong, but Garp cornered The Pirate King on many occasions.

The captain of the Red Hair Pirates decided he should just go to sleep. He made his decision already so there was no point in fussing about it.

* * *

(The Next Day)

"Alright crew! Time to get up! We're making a U-turn back to Luffy's home town," declared Shanks early in the morning.

"What?!" came a chorus of replies from the crew. "Weren't we returning to The Grand Line?" asked a random crew member.

"You can blame Benn for this," mumbled Shanks glaring at his first mate.

After this the crew began their journey… back to the place they just came from. The sky looked as if it wouldn't rain for a few days. It was pleasant weather.

Before they were in sight of the island, Shanks decided to tell everyone that they shouldn't be spotted on the island. To avoid being spotted, Shanks told his crew to take the boat around the island to an unpopulated area.

As they were going around, they noticed a river big enough to go through.

"Alright we'll go through the river to an area in the dense forest and stay there. From there, I will go alone to the town," said Shanks.

"Mind telling us what's going on captain? Why are we returning?" asked a confused Yasopp. Lucky Roo was too busy eating a large chicken leg to say anything. He settled for giving a grunt of agreement.

"I'll tell you later, I don't feel like explaining right now," retorted Shanks.

Later that day Shanks began to make his way to the town. The jungle was really dense. Along the way he even had to scare off a few creatures that tried to eat him. This place was really beginning to annoy him.

"I'm almost there. I was starting to get really hungry… maybe we should throw a party when I get back to the boat," said Shanks to himself.

After a few more minutes of walking he finally made it to the town. It is now night so most people are sleeping. He decided to put on the cloak he got from the boat. It has a hoodie so it covers his face well. Right now he is standing outside of the house where Luffy stays with the mayor.

This is before Garp took Luffy with Dadan.

After a moment of consideration, Shanks decided to climb up to the window of the room where he sensed Luffy. It was easy for him to sense him using Haki.

"Luffy. Luffy. Luuuuffffyyyy," whispered Shanks from outside the window. Shanks tapped the glass to try to wake him up. Nothing was working no matter how much noise he was making. Finally, Shanks opened the window and went inside.

'How should I wake him up?' thought Shanks.

After a few more minutes Shanks flicked Luffy on the forehead with a little Haki.

"Wha-" started Luffy but Shanks quickly covered his mouth.

"Come with me Luffy I'll explain everything when we're outside," said Shanks. Luffy just nodded and began to follow. He doesn't know it is Shanks but Luffy is an idiot so he just followed.

Once they reached the forest they stopped walking. Shanks removed his hood now that they were out of site.

"Shanks? I already told you I won't go with you on your journey!" exclaimed a surprised Luffy. He was now really confused.

*sigh* "I'm not going to take you anywhere. Would you like me to be your teacher for a while?" asked Shanks.

"Why? I'm already strong," declared Luffy.

"Luffy, there are a lot of people that could take you down without even touching you. I just want to help you become a strong pirate in the future," retorted Shanks.

"Okay," agreed Luffy.

"Alright then follow me. We'll be walking for a while," said Shanks.

On the way there Shanks noticed Luffy looking at him sadly. He didn't know what the reason was but he'd find out.

"Luffy, what's wrong? You look sad," said Shanks in a caring and serious tone.

"I'm sorry for your arm…" said Luffy quietly. He felt guilty each time he thought about Shanks losing his arm for him.

"Hahahaha! Don't worry about it Luffy! I made my own decision. It wasn't your fault," responded Shanks.

"O-okay," said Luffy before he ran forward and gave him a hug. He began to cry. It took a few minutes for him to finally stop crying. When he did, they began to walk again.

After about an hour they finally made it to where the ship is located.

"We're back!" Shanks said.

After greeting their captain The Red Hair Pirates noticed Luffy.

"Captain what's Luffy doing here? You're not actually going to bring him along are you?" asked Lucky Roo. He was worried. 'Has the captain gone insane? We can't take Luffy to The Grand Line,' thought Roo.

"Well I guess I should finally explain," started Shanks, "Benn suggested I should take on an apprentice," he finished.

The crew just looked at him blankly, expecting him to laugh any minute now. When it didn't happen they began their interrogation.

"What?"

"Why?"

"Are you kidding?"

"We're not taking him with us are we?"

"No we are not going to take him to The Grand Line that would be stupid," said Beckman.

"We're not going to leave this island for a while. Luffy is a troublemaker. He will need all the help he can get once he becomes a pirate. Especially once he goes to The Grand Line," explained Shanks.

"Why Luffy? Couldn't you just choose any other kid?" asked Yasopp.

"I see potential in Luffy. He has a strong will power. By the way, isn't Usopp in the East Blue too? What if he joins Luffy's crew?" asked Shanks.

"My son would probably want to be captain but it's possible," agreed Yasopp while imagining his son's antics. It seemed really funny to him.

"Hahaha!" laughed Shanks loudly.

"Hey! When will we start my training?" asked Luffy. He was beginning to get impatient. 'Jeez, when old people start talking they talk forever!' thought Luffy.

"We are actually going to start tomorrow. Today I'll explain what I plan to teach you," declared Shanks.

"Can't we start now?" asked Luffy. He wanted to start his awesome training already.

"No, you're too tired to train properly. Anyway, I'm going to teach you some swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and how to use two types of Haki," summarized Shanks. He had already planned out his training.

"I'll teach him battle tactics. You can't always charge in to situations. When you are with nakama you could put them in danger," added Benn. 'He'll need to know battle tactics if he wants to eventually face off with Sengoku,' he thought.

"Part of your training will also be to get to this location every day. There are some creatures that might want to eat you long the way," said Shanks.

Luffy paled a little at this. He didn't want to end up being food for creatures at such a young age!

"It's getting late now. Should I take you back home?" asked Shanks nicely.

Luffy nodded in the affirmative. After that, the two began to walk to the mayor's house. Once they got there Shanks stopped walking.

"Luffy, tomorrow I want you to be at your new training ground at 10 in the morning. I don't want anyone to know I'm here. Tell the mayor that you're going to walk around or something. Also, NEVER tell your Grandpa I'm training you," said Shanks.

"Ummm… okay," agreed Luffy. "I'll see you tomorrow Shanks!" said Luffy before going inside.

As Shanks was walking off he thought to himself, 'I hope this works out well.'

* * *

(The Next Day)

Luffy woke up at 8 in the morning. 'Wow it's really early. Will it be like this every day now?' pondered Luffy. 'I'm going to be really strong soon!'

After rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he began to get ready. An hour later he was ready.

"The mayor is still asleep so I'll leave him a note that I went to walk around by the neighboring towns," said Luffy to himself. After writing the note he left the cabin.

It took him an hour to reach the place where Shanks told him to be. In other words, he was there at 10. He managed to avoid any creatures along the way.

"Hi Luffy! You made it on time," said Shanks.

"Why do you have to be so far from town?!" asked a tired Luffy.

"I don't want to be spotted," replied Shanks.

"Whatever…" retorted Luffy. Then he remembered Shanks was going to train him. He was really excited to learn something new. "What are we going to do today?" he asked.

"First we're going to a nearby town to get you a sword. There is a good blacksmith around here," replied Shanks.

"I'm going to get a sword? That's so cool!" said Luffy.

"A sword isn't a toy Luffy. Be careful whenever you use it," lectured Shanks.

"Okay I will," said Luffy trying to be responsible. On the way to a nearby town Luffy had a big smile on his face.

After walking for about twenty minutes they finally reached the town. After another five minutes of walking in the town they entered a shop.

"We want to buy a sword!" yelled Shanks cheerfully as they walked in. A man walked over to them after a few seconds.

"I'm sorry but we're out of swords. A man just came by from a dojo and bought the swords. He said his students were ready to practice with real swords," replied the old man.

"What if I put in a custom order?" asked Shanks hopefully.

"I'm not that good at making swords. My son usually makes them and he's on vacation. I know how to make other weapons," offered the old man.

"Can I choose a different weapon then?" asked Luffy. He really didn't want to leave empty-handed.

"Well… okay you can have a look around. I know how to use some other weapons," said Shanks. He knows how to use a few weapons, but he prefers his sword.

"Thanks Shanks! Come on!" he said as he started to drag Shanks around the store. After looking around a little he saw something that interested him. "What are these?" he asked.

He was pointing to a pair of weapons. Each has three prongs. The longest prong is about a foot long. They also have a handle that is big enough for only one hand to hold it.

"Those are sai. I know how to use them but they've never been my favorite weapon," said Shanks. "You like them?" he added.

"Yeah they look really cool!" said Luffy.

'He ate a paramecia fruit that probably involves a lot of hand-to-hand combat: the Gomu Gomu no Mi. The sai also involve getting close to fight. It seems like a good weapon for him,' thought Shanks.

"Did you choose what you want yet?" asked the old man as he approached them.

"Yeah I want these!" yelled Luffy.

"No he doesn't. He wants the best pair of sai you have. I don't care what the price is. I'm going to pay for them," said Shanks. The old man looked at him questionably. He didn't know if he could actually pay for them. When he came back he was holding a golden case.

"This is my best pair of sai. The Longarm Tribe helped me make these. My wife is part of their tribe so sometimes they help me make great weapons," he said as he began to open the case.

Inside are two sai. They both are made of a black metal and have a handle that appears to be made of strong and durable leather. It appears gold in color. The end of each handle is made of the same black metal as the prongs. All three prongs are very sharp, unlike some sai in which only the middle prong is sharp. The only difference between the two sai is that one has a long, red dragon on the middle prong while the other has a long, blue dragon on the middle prong.

"The name of the sai with the red dragon is Kagutsuchi (god of fire). The name of the sai with the blue dragon is Watatsumi (god of the sea). Each one costs 300,000 beli so combined they cost 600,000 beli," he said expecting Shanks to protest the price.

"What makes them so special besides the good quality?" asked Shanks. He expected them to be this expensive.

"The Longarm Tribe said that when they are wielded correctly they can 'Breathe' fire and water," he responded. This made Shanks' eyes go wide.

"I want to be able to make them use fire and water. Since they can breathe can they eat meat too?" asked Luffy. They seemed like awesome sai.

"They can't really breathe and they can't eat. He just meant they can generate fire and water. Anyway, I'll pay for them," he said as he took out the requested money.

They got back to the training area about an hour later. They took so long because they ate at a small restaurant before heading back. The first thing he made Luffy do is exercise and build up strength. Eventually he would teach him how to use his sai. The last thing he will teach him is how to use Haki. He won't teach him how to use Haki until he has a good mastery of hand-to-hand, how to use his sai, and tactics.

* * *

(About Eight Months Later)

During the eight months that passed, Luffy learned a great deal of things. He was a quick learner. He could still improve with his sai, but he knows enough to be considered a master. He got really good at hand-to-hand combat. Before he could improve in hand-to-hand combat he had to learn how to make his devil fruit useful. It didn't really take long. Every day during breaks Benn taught him tactics and new things. If he had a bounty, Shanks would place it at 30,000,000 to 50,000,000 beli.

The day before this day Luffy turned eight years old. Because of this, Shanks decided to teach Luffy something special. He would've done it on the exact day of his birthday, but he was celebrating with Garp and the town people.

"Luffy, today I will teach you about two types of Haki," said Shanks.

"What's Haki? It sounds boring. Will it make me stronger?" asked Luffy.

"Haki is the power of ambition. Everyone has it and you can use two types of Haki by training. These two types are Kenbunshoku Haki and Busoshoku Haki. Kenbunshoku Haki is also known as Color of Observation Haki. It allows you to sense the presence of others even if you can't see them. With enough practice you can predict your opponents' moves shortly before they do them," he replied as he began to walk.

Luffy began to follow Shanks to where he was going. Suddenly Shanks stopped.

"There is a large tiger behind me. Don't do anything or interfere in any way Luffy," Shanks said. After he finished talking, a large tiger charged at him from behind. Luffy began to panic but he didn't attack the tiger because Shanks told him not to.

Suddenly the tiger swiped at Shanks from an angle to his head. Shanks dodged it by ducking while he had his eyes closed. He continued to dodge its various attacks without even looking.

"Awesome!" said Luffy with sparkling eyes.

"Busoshoku Haki is also known as Color of Armaments Haki. This is like an invisible armor that you can use as a defense or to attack. It can make your attacks with weapons stronger by putting it in them. You can also make your normal attacks stronger. You can use it to attack logia users or exploit the weaknesses of devil fruit eaters. It's what I used to wake you up a few months ago. Your Grandpa uses it a lot too," he explained as he turned around and hit the tiger with a force that shot forward from his hand.

"The last type of Haki cannot be awakened by training. You have to awaken it by strengthening your spirit. This Haki is Haoshoku Haki or Color of Conqueror Haki. This is a rare kind of Haki. Many leaders in the world have this kind of Haki, me included. It can be used to intimidate opponents. It can be controlled but you can't train it. To enhance it you have to develop yourself," he finished his explanation.

After he finished explaining, the tiger got up and attacked Shanks again. Shanks simply used Haoshoku Haki to intimidate it and knock it out.

"Wow! You're so strong. Are you going back to The Grand Line eventually?" asked Luffy. He was clearly impressed. "I want to be able to do that," he added.

"I'm not going back to The Grand Line until your learn how to use Haki. I don't know if you have Haoshoku Haki but I think you do. Once you awaken it, be careful because you can intimidate innocent people if you can't control it. Get someone to teach you how to control it," said Shanks.

"Okay I will Shanks," replied Luffy.

* * *

(Summary of Next Few Years)

For the next year and a half Shanks taught Luffy how to use Kenbunshoku Haki and Busoshoku Haki. Luffy got good enough to be able to use both in a fight and even to use Kenbunshoku Haki like if it was second nature. Shanks had to leave when Garp took Luffy to Dadan. Also, Shanks decided it was time to go to The New World. He wanted to make his name known to everyone in the world. How would people react if Red-Hired Shanks came back after all his time absent without an arm? Anyway, over the next few years, Shanks became a Yonkou of The New World.

* * *

**A/N: Tell me how you like my story. In my fanfiction Shanks was not a Yonkou when he took on Luffy as a student. He WAS a well-known pirate with a high bounty. I would place him at Jimbei's level. After he became a Yonkou he obviously got a lot stronger. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from One Piece.**

(I noticed I forgot to add this in the first chapter…)

**A/N: I hope you like the second chapter of my story. Enjoy!**

"_"-in quotes means talking

'_'-means thinking

**Chapter 2: Set Sail!**

Luffy is really excited. It is May 5th, so he just turned seventeen years old! It had been eight years since Shanks left. He often heard his Grandpa talking about "Red-Haired" Shanks. Apparently he became a very important person in the world. He is a great threat to the government. This always made Luffy laugh.

Anyway, he wasn't excited just because it's his birthday. The mayor told him he could leave to do what he wished when he turned seventeen.

"I'm lucky my Grandpa isn't here. He wouldn't let me become a pirate," said Luffy as he got ready to go get his boat prepared. When he finished he looked in the mirror.

He has on a black vest and dark blue pants. The pants have a white fold on the bottom. (It's the same kind of clothes he always wears just different colors.) He also has on a grey sash around his waist. He chose to wear a sash because he needs a place to carry his sai. He hooked his sai onto his sash before he left his room. As a last touch, he put on his straw hat.

As Luffy was walking through the halls he saw the mayor.

"Hi! I'm going to become a pirate today!" announced Luffy to him.

"Good-morning…" the mayor said and then trailed off when he saw Luffy's sai. This was the first time he ever saw his weapons. "What are those?!" asked he asked with wide eyes.

"They're my sai. They're awesome aren't they?" asked Luffy.

The mayor just recomposed himself. He decided to change the subject for his own sake.

"You'll bring shame to Foosha village. Even though I know this, I'm going to let you go. Just take care of yourself. The sea is a dangerous place," he said.

Luffy laughed quietly in response. After he was done he began to run to the shore.

"Bye! I hope I see you again someday!" yelled Luffy to the mayor as he ran off.

In a few minutes he made it to the shore. This is where he kept his small boat ever since he got it. It is a secluded area where no one will see him leave. He doesn't mind if someone sees him, but he knows they might try to stop him from becoming a pirate.

He got on his boat after a quick inspection to make sure it wouldn't sink.

"Set sail!" he yelled happily. After this he untied the rope that kept the boat on the shore. He began to sail to the sea. Suddenly, he was interrupted by something.

"It's you," Luffy said. He was glaring at the sea king in front of him. "You're the one that bit off Shanks' arm," he added.

"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" he yelled out after his arm stretched back and then snapped forward at great speeds to punch the sea king. The poor thing never stood a chance. It was unconscious before it even sank back down.

After that Luffy began to sail again.

'The East Blue is located in the east so I have to go west to reach The Grand Line. I should probably get a boat and at least ten people first. The Grand Line is a dangerous place. The people should be really strong!' thought Luffy. He was recalling what Benn taught him about the positions of the oceans.

He got so lost in his thoughts he didn't even notice the large whirlpool in front of him until he was stuck in its current. Well… large is an understatement. It's humungous!

"How will I get out of this one?" Luffy wondered. Then he noticed a large barrel nearby. He quickly stretched his arm out and got the sake barrel. When it was close enough he got inside.

'If it can keep sake in than it can keep water out,' reasoned Luffy. 'It'll float too.' After that he decided to take a nap because it would be a while until he found a boat or got somewhere safe.

* * *

(Meanwhile With the Female Pirate Alvida)

Alvida is a female pirate that isn't beautiful. She is short and… round. Her head is really round too. She wears a pink squared shirt under a dark blue coat. The coat also has yellow epaulettes to make it look fancier. She is also wearing a white hat with large red feathers. Around her neck she has a neckerchief with the knot part in front. She has freckles and black, wavy hair. She also has red lipstick. She has a lot of jewelry too.

Most importantly, she has a large iron mace. This is why she is known as "Iron Mace" Alvida.

"Pick up the pace! We need to stock up on supplies!" yelled Alvida while holding her mace over her shoulder menacingly. Looking at some of the men in her crew made them terrified. They all fear her mace.

After yelling out the orders she went to check on the food. She found out they were very short on that too. She decided to have some fun.

"COBY! What's the most beautiful thing of all the seas?" she asked in a way that told Coby he better have a good answer.

"Eh… hehe… that'll be you Alvida-sama," Coby replied. He was obviously terrified.

Coby is a small boy with medium length pink hair and large, round glasses. His hair is combed to the sides. He also has a button-up white shirt with blue lines on the shoulders. His pants are black and he has white and red shoes.

"Wait here trash! I'm going to get you some stuff to do the job I tell you to do when we arrive at my island," she said. After she finished talking, she turned around and looked at the crew.

"Start cleaning the boat! I don't want to see even a speck of dust!" she ordered them.

After telling them that, she went below deck. When she returned she had a lot of boxes with her. She began to look for Coby.

"Coby, get over here!" she yelled out. He quickly made his way to her.

"Y-yes?" he responded.

"Take these boxes to the area around the island when we arrive. I want you to fill all of them up with food and useful things. Don't return until they're all filled!" she told him. It seems she gets pleasure out of being mean to him.

"Okay Alvida-sama," replied Coby. When they arrived at the island Coby quickly got off the boat. He began to walk around the shore wondering what to do.

"Dammit! What can I do about it? Alvida is so strong," he told himself.

"Who's Alvida? That other guy mentioned her too," said a voice behind Coby. He startled Coby. He didn't know someone was behind him.

He spun around as fast as he could to look at the person who spoke.

"Hi, I'm Luffy!" announced the person with the straw hat.

"Umm… I'm Coby," Coby responded unsurely. He didn't trust him. It's hard to trust someone after being on Alvida's crew for so long.

"Are those your friends? They were bothering me," Luffy said while pointing over his shoulder. Coby turned around to see who he was talking about. When he did, he was surprised to find three men unconscious. They were from Alvida's crew.

"What did you do?!" asked Coby. It isn't every day that you see three men unconscious by the shore. Luffy was insinuating that HE knocked THREE men out by HIMSELF without getting even a scratch!

"Well… they started it…" said a pouting Luffy. It wasn't his fault.

* * *

(Flashback: A few minutes earlier)

"What will we do if Alvida notices we left to take a break?" asked one of the men.

"She won't even know. She's too busy being lazy," replied another one of the men.

"If she does we'll tell her we went to find supplies. I just hope we don't get hit by the iron mace!" added the last man.

"That would be horrible!" agreed the first man. Just then they noticed something: a large sake barrel on the shore.

"Is that a sake barrel?! We should drink it by ourselves," said the second man.

"Yeah, we should take it to the wine room. We're the only ones that will be there," said the third man.

"Alright, let's take it back," finished the first man.

Just when they were about to pick it up Luffy burst out from the inside.

"Ahhh! That was a good nap!" he said. He was pretending that he just awoke even though he knew they were there a while ago. "Who are you guys?" he asked.

"We're from the fearsome Alvida Pirates! Who are you?" replied one of them.

"Monkey D. Luffy, future pirate king," he responded.

When Luffy finished responding, they attacked with their swords. Luffy dodged the first strike. He blocked the two other swords with his hands. His hands were hardened with Haki. He broke the two swords in his hands then he pulled out one of his sai and blocked the sword he dodged before, which was coming back for a second swing. He caught it in between two of the prongs and twisted the sai to break that sword too.

"What was that for?" Luffy asked as if nothing just happened. He was really confused. Why did they attack him?

"You're a monster!" yelled one of the men. Even thought they were scared, they still continued to attack Luffy.

Luffy simply punched each of them to the face once. They were knocked out.

(End Flashback)

* * *

"You knocked them out and you broke their swords?!" exclaimed Coby. Luffy looked at him blankly.

"Yeah, I did," Luffy said after a few seconds. "They were weak. So who is Alvida? Is she strong?" he asked.

"Alvida is a strong pirate. I'm part of her crew," Coby said sadly.

"So you're a pirate?" Luffy questioned.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to be a pirate! I just wanted to go fishing but I got on the wrong boat. The boat I got on was a boat heading to Alvida's ship. I was forced to become a caretaker," coby responded regretfully.

"Anyway, do you have a boat I can use? I got caught in the whirlpool. That's why I was in the sake barrel," Luffy explained.

"You survived that giant whirlpool?!" said Coby. He was really surprised now. 'How could anyone survive that?' he thought.

"Yup! So do you have a boat?" asked Luffy.

"Well… yeah," replied Coby. He led Luffy to a small handmade boat. It looks like it is in awful condition. "I made this myself to try to escape Alvida."

"You made it? Don't you want it?" asked Luffy. 'Why would he give me his boat?'

"No I have no use for it. I could never escape Alvida," Coby said.

"Why don't you just leave?" interrogated Luffy.

"NO! It would never work! Every time I think of Alvida catching me… I get really scared…" he explained.

"You seem useless," deadpanned Luffy. This made Coby sweat-drop.

'He doesn't sugarcoat it,' thought Coby.

"You seem weak too. I don't like you," Luffy continued with a smile on his face. This made Coby cry anime tears.

"Umm… why do you sail Luffy?" asked Coby. 'Luffy seems brave. Maybe I can be like that… '

"To become the Pirate King," he responded with another smile.

"What?! Someone that is Pirate King has everything in the world! Are you looking for 'One Piece'?! You could die!" exclaimed Coby.

"It's impossible. Impossible, impossible, utterly impossible…" Coby continued muttering until…

"Ow! Why did you hit me?" asked Coby.

"You annoyed me," Luffy responded. "I'm not afraid to die. It's my dream, so I don't mind if I die for it," he added. This surprised Coby.

'Such resolve!' he thought. He began to cry a little.

"Can I accomplish my dream if I'm willing… to die for it too?" asked Coby quietly.

"What?" asked Luffy. 'I'm confused now.'

"Will I be able to become a marine?!" Coby asked. He was crying but at the same time he looked determined.

"I know we'll be enemies but it has always been my dream! Am I capable of doing it?!" he continued loudly.

"I don't know," Luffy replied.

"I should at least try. Maybe I could become a marine. I'd rather die trying than spend the rest of my life working for Alvida. I'll catch pirates like Alvida myself!" he proclaimed loudly.

Suddenly Luffy kicked his leg out right above Coby's boat. Above the boat, Luffy's leg clashed with a large iron mace.

"Who did you say you were going to arrest, Coby?!" Alvida demanded. Apparently she didn't notice her mace was blocked. She was too mad. She put her mace over her shoulder again. "So you're the one that beat up my workers! You stupid straw hat boy! So you're working with him, Coby?!" she said.

"Coby, before you die, who is the most beautiful woman in all of the seas?!" she demanded. Coby was about to reply, but he didn't get the chance.

"I'm not going to let you destroy Coby's ship, whale lady!" Luffy said. When he blocked her mace it was to protect the boat. He sensed her coming and he knew she wanted to destroy it.

"Ehhhhh?!" replied everyone there. They couldn't believe he just called her a whale.

"L-Luffy, that's Alvida!" Coby told him.

"Your captain is a whale? She's ugly," he stated the obvious.

Everyone else sweat-dropped after he said she was ugly. A few seconds later Coby recomposed himself.

"That's right! She's the ugliest and fattest damn bitch on all the seas!" he said. He spoke his mind. 'I finally fought for my dream,' he thought.

"Hahahaha!" Luffy began to laugh uncontrollably.

"You brats!" Alvida exclaimed in anger. By now she was steaming. She swung her iron mace downward towards Coby.

"Get behind me!" Luffy told Coby.

He went in front of Coby and took the blow to the head.

"That didn't hurt because I'm a rubber man," he explained as he looked up at Alvida with a big grin.

"It didn't work?!" Alvida exclaimed in complete shock. Luffy began to stretch his arm back with a clenched fist. Suddenly he let it snap forward.

As it hit her in the face, he said, "Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" Alvida flew far into the sky (in a funny way) away from the island and over the sea. Her men stared at Luffy. They were terrified.

"Get Coby a ship! He wants to join the marines," Luffy said. He began to chuckle as they followed his orders.

* * *

(A While Later)

Later that day they began to sail towards a marine base.

"You ate the Gomu Gomu no mi?" Coby asked Luffy. Luffy had told him about the fruit he ate.

"Yup!" Luffy replied.

"You're also going to The Grand Line to look for One Piece?" he questioned.

"Yeah, that's why I need a strong crew. My first crewmate is being held at the marine base you're going to," he told him.

"Roronoa Zoro? You're crazy! He's a monster!" Coby exclaimed.

"We don't know that yet. If he is good, I'll ask him to join my crew," he said.

"It's impossible, impossible, impossible…" Coby began. With that, they sailed to the marine base nearby.

**A/N: Well please review to tell me how it was. Please tell me how to improve too.**


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